Hand #1 was the first hand that we played. Both the bidding and the play are almost completely straightforward, but it does present an opportunity to focus on important principles in selecting the first card to hit the table.
Board #1
North dealer
Neither side vulnerable
| | North
♠ J 3
♥ J 10
♦ A J 10 5 4
♣ Q J 9 6
| | West
♠ A 9 6 5
♥ A Q 8 7
♦ 9 8
♣ K 7 3
| | East
♠ 8 7 4 2
♥ 6 4 3
♦ 3 2
♣ 10 8 5 4
| | | South
♠ K Q 10
♥ K 9 5 2
♦ K Q 7 6
♣ A 2
| |
|
| | | | |
| South | West | North | East |
| | | P |
| 1N | P | 3N | P |
| P | P | | |
I sat East. Please pause to reflect a moment on the elegant assortment of cards with which I began the evening. When I get a hand like this, I like to "count the pips". That is, I add up the numerical values of the cards. In this case 8+7+4+...+5+4=66. Even though the ♣10 disqualified it from being a Yarborough, this is one of the very worst hands that I have ever had. However, it is not close to the worst. Even if the offending 10 had been a deuce, it would not have been as bad as one from early in my time at the Simsbury Bridge Club. I did not record it at the time, but my recollection is that its pip count was an astounding 55. The lowest pip count possible is 41: 5432 432 432 432.
At our table, South declared the 3NT contract that is inevitable regardless of whether North decides to open.1 So, West is on lead. Which card should be picked? Well, North-South did not even try to find a major suit fit. Many people, including my partner, would select the fourth-best heart.
In this case, however, West has a great deal of information about the other three hands. North-South marched confidently to 3NT. They must surely have at least 25 or 26 points. West's hand contains 13. So, East's hand contains no more than a solitary jack or queen. The opponents have everything else. Even if West has the most useful possible card, the ♣Q, it appears extremely unlikely that East-West can set the contract.
So, this is a "Damage Control" situation. You want to make the lead that minimizes the possibility of giving away one of your three tricks. The best choice is probably a diamond, the worst suit. So, I would lead the ♦9 and hope for the best. If partner loses his/her only face card to a finesse, declarer probably could do it anyway.
As it turns out, declarer has five certain diamond tricks. After giving up the king, there are two club tricks, three if West has the king. There are two spade tricks after the ace is driven out. The only way that North can get a heart trick would be for West to give it away on the first trick.
What if North were the declarer after a 1♦=1♥=1NT=3NT auction? East knows that the only card in his hand with any potential value is the ♣10. So, a club lead is out. The objective is to minimize the possibility of finessing partner, who has almost 100 percent of East-West's potential winner. Declarer has admitted that he does not have four cards in either major. So I would lead my highest heart or spade. If I was lucky enough to pick hearts, we will have no problem winning four tricks. If declarer misplays the clubes, we may even set the contract.
1. Would you open hand #1? I certainly would consider bidding 2♦ in the first seat not vulnerable. The major limiting factor would be how upset partner would likely be at watching me go down one in a lofty diamond contract. In this case the preempt almost guarantees that South plays any notrump contract.